Ice trail to be known as ‘The Loop’

Bannerman Park wants to keep St. John’s in The Loop.The park’s foundation today announced “The Loop” as the name of the ice trail at Bannerman Park — 270 metres of refrigerated concrete that is the biggest part of a $6-million revitalization of the park.

Kevin Nolan (left), who spearheaded the fundraising campaign for the Bannerman Park revitalization, and Elinor Ratcliffe, patron donor to the campaign, today stroll along the concrete of The Loop, the park's ice trail that will soon be iced over for recreational skating. — Photo by Daniel MacEachern/The Telegram

Naming rights for the ice trail were given to Elinor Gill Ratcliffe, patron donor to the revitalization fundraising campaign. She said she wanted an easy name for the children she hopes will flock to the trail.

Ratcliffe said when she was given naming rights, she asked the Bannerman Park Foundation for a list of suggestions.

“I put it back to them. I said, why don’t you give me a list of suggestions, and let me pick? I knew that I wasn’t going to call it after an individual or a company, but … something that you see kids picking up their skates and saying, ‘Goodbye, Mom! I’m going to the …’”

One of those suggestions — on a list that included “Skateland” and “Mobius” — was “The Loop.” The latter won the day.

Ratcliffe said she didn’t want to name the ice trail after a person because it belongs to everybody.

“To put a name on it somehow detracts from that,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the foundation said the City of St. John’s will announce when The Loop is open to the public, which is expected to be soon.

Kevin Nolan (left), who spearheaded the fundraising campaign for the Bannerman Park revitalization, and Elinor Ratcliffe, patron donor to the campaign, today stroll along the concrete of The Loop, the park's ice trail that will soon be iced over for recreational skating. — Photo by Daniel MacEachern/The Telegram